So the Atlantic division (+ CAR, WAS, CLB) is now the Metropolitan division and the Northeast division (+ DET, FLA, TB) is now the Atlantic..... What?

I saw the division names without knowing which teams were in which one, I was praying that the Northeast+DET/FLA/TB wasn't the Metropolitan because I don't want the Bruins to be in the division known as the Metro division

And yes, Tavares has one of the, if not the most, team-friendly deal in the NHL. 6/$33M I believe, signed almost two years ago. He'd get closer to $10M/year than $5.5M/year on the open market._________________Bruins // Patriots // Red Sox // Chelsea

Jagr is probably still trying to pay off his ridiculous gambling debt....

Anywho - the five teams that made up the Atlantic Division before this new merger... are not even in the new Atlantic Division. As a matter of fact, 6 teams that were at one point in the Atlantic Division are now in a division together; but still don't make up the new Atlantic Division.

I was bored and Reddit had an interesting thread relating to the Olympic rosters being announced. If Ontario suddenly became its own country, who would make the team and how would they fare against the rest of Canada? I included intangibles (chemistry, mental toughness) in my schemata for the lineups. I used NHL.com as my basis for who belongs on which team, i.e. Patrick Sharp is on the Rest-of-Canada team even though he played his youth hockey in Thunder Bay, ONT. If NHL.com has him in Winnipeg, then he's not on the Ontario team.

Ontario has an amazing blend of size and skill up front, and exceptional mobility at the back end. However, with that top six, you have to worry about being scored on. Also, Doughty and Subban get burned on bad pinches from time to time.

Canada has some great defensive forwards, but that's not as good a group from a skating perspective as Ontario's. Pretty good defensive core. I honestly rate them on par with Ontario's. I give Ontario a slight advantage in net based on starters, but Canada has much deeper goaltending.

I think Ontario does better than Canada in the Olympics, but they would probably meet in the gold medal game. If there was a series format, the series would go 7.

ontario would take gold. i would replace richards with spezza (such a ridiculously underrated player for his entire career), and absolutely make room for kadri and simmonds (dump clarkson in a heartbeat for simmonds, by 2014 there's a good chance i switch thornton for kadri as well).. but yeah, they're loaded._________________

Maple Leafs are already planning their victory parade. A little premature? They must fancy David Clarkson a God.

David Clarkson's overpayment reminds me of when the the Rangers way overpaid for Bobby Holik. Holik like Clarkson was a 20ish goal/year scorer, 100 PIM, defensive guy who continued to be what he was but was criticized for not being better. Seems like that will happen to Clarkson, plays like a solid 2nd-3rd liner but is paid like a first._________________

Maple Leafs are already planning their victory parade. A little premature? They must fancy David Clarkson a God.

David Clarkson's overpayment reminds me of when the the Rangers way overpaid for Bobby Holik. Holik like Clarkson was a 20ish goal/year scorer, 100 PIM, defensive guy who continued to be what he was but was criticized for not being better. Seems like that will happen to Clarkson, plays like a solid 2nd-3rd liner but is paid like a first.

As a Leaf fan, I agree. Some Leaf fans now seem to expect a perennial 30ish goal star, and everyone else says he blows and is terrible and is the worst signing ever...etc. I think he'll be who he is, somewhere in the middle. He'll go to the net, he'll play physical, and provide some grit on our 2nd line while scoring about 20 goals. I don't mind that at all, but the contract was a bit much._________________

clarkson is a great third liner and a solid second liner. leafs fans are going to expect him to be more and i think he's going to get destroyed by the media rather quickly there. he certainly was overpaid._________________

So the Atlantic division (+ CAR, WAS, CLB) is now the Metropolitan division and the Northeast division (+ DET, FLA, TB) is now the Atlantic..... What?

I saw the division names without knowing which teams were in which one, I was praying that the Northeast+DET/FLA/TB wasn't the Metropolitan because I don't want the Bruins to be in the division known as the Metro division

And yes, Tavares has one of the, if not the most, team-friendly deal in the NHL. 6/$33M I believe, signed almost two years ago. He'd get closer to $10M/year than $5.5M/year on the open market.

It means he is committed 100% to LI, and the franchise's direction reinforces his faith._________________